Public Statements

Congress Should Act Quickly to Correct Defense Bill

Press Release

It is my hope that the House and Senate will pass the modification when we return in January in a bipartisan manner that preserves the important gains our nation has achieved in Iraq during 2007'

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Friday regarding the need for Congress to act quickly and fix an overly broad provision in the Defense Authorization Act that would punish the Iraqi government:

"The President has indicated that he will veto this important defense bill due to an overly broad provision within it that would open the door to harmful litigation that will punish the new democratically elected government of Iraq for the crimes of the toppled Saddam Hussein regime. We must move rapidly to fix this section so that the underlying bill, which includes the Wounded Warrior provisions to improve our health care system for veterans, can be signed into law.

"It is my hope that the House and Senate will pass the modification when we return in January, in a bipartisan manner that preserves the important gains our nation has achieved in Iraq during 2007, without further delaying the many valuable programs in the bill.